Josip Juranovic admits he felt ‘sceptical’ after joining Celtic last summer before a 10-word chat with Ange Postecoglou instantly put his mind at ease, via quotes by Dalmacija Danas.
The Croatian was among the last to move to Parkhead during Postecoglou’s first window in charge of the Premiership giants. He ended the Bhoys’ three-year search for a right-back in August, securing a £2.5m transfer from Legia Warsaw, while agreeing a five-year contract.
Juranovic has since proven to be one of Postecoglou’s most valued defenders at Celtic with 32 appearances across all competitions. The 26-year-old has also split his minutes between right and left-sided roles, after stepping up after Greg Taylor underwent shoulder surgery.
Yet Juranovic was still not certain he made the right call by joining Celtic before a chat with Postecoglou. A switch to Glasgow was not totally attractive for the 15-cap ace as he joined, having just won the Ekstraklasa. He also cemented his international presence last season.
The Hoops, on the other hand, were still reeling from last season’s disasters that saw Neil Lennon resign. They ended the Premiership season 25-points adrift of Rangers, and exited the Scottish Cup in the quarter-final and also bowed out of the League cup in round two.
Juranovic admits feeling ‘sceptical’ about Celtic before Postecoglou chat
But Postecoglou put Juranovic’s mind at ease with just 10 words following his Celtic arrival.
“Honestly, when I arrived in Glasgow, I was a little sceptical, especially since the team won nothing last season,” Juranovic said. “However, on the first day, the coach approached me and said: ‘This is a new Celtic, I want you in it’.
“He automatically brought a smile to my face and since then, I have not let it off my face. It paid off, we are first in the league table with three points more than Glasgow Rangers.”
Along with Juranovic helping Postecoglou to guide Celtic to a three-point Premiership lead, the Hoops also won the League Cup in December and are in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
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